The Sunday Post: Hospice News

Laughing all the way
to the bank

By Murray Scougall

OUR campaign is poised to laugh all the way to the bank after a group of top comedians agreed to perform a special gig in aid of CHAS.

Some of the UK’s top stand-up performers and TV comics have agreed to perform at the Edinburgh event — all thanks to the persistence of a big-hearted drama student.

Nicola Connor, from Livingston, is a drama and theatre arts student at the capital’s Queen Margaret University. She wants to be a comedy producer when she graduates and, as part of her fourth year dissertation, she decided to organise a benefit night for charity.

Nicola warms up at The Stand in Edinburgh.
(Inset top) Richard Herring.
(Middle) Miles Jupp.
(Botom) Paul Graham and
Stuart Murphy of The Stand Players.

After reading in The Sunday Post about the good work CHAS do, the 21-year-old knew there was only one organisation which should profit from the concert.

And, despite organising the event at The Stand comedy club on March 9 entirely on her own, she has amassed an outstanding line-up, headlined by Richard Herring and also featuring Miles Jupp, Kieran Butler, and The Stand Improv Players.
Frustrating

Nicola said, “Representatives from CHAS used to come to my school and tell us about they work they did and it’s always stuck in my mind. I started organising the event in October last year. I’ve organised it myself and it’s been really hard work. It can also be frustrating — but I love it.

“I was on a placement at The Stand at the time, so they agreed to give me a really good discount for the night. I met Miles Jupp, who’s appeared on The Live Floor Show and Balamory, and Fringe favourite Kieran Butler at the club. When I told them what I was doing they agreed to take part.

“I called a lot of agents to make contact with Richard Herring and eventually spoke to him. He’s one of my favourite performers and I loved his work on This Morning With Richard Not Judy and That Was Then, This Is Now.

“He agreed to do the show, which is quite special as it is very rare for Richard to perform a stand-up set.”
Ambitious

This is only the second production Nicola has ever organised.

She put on an ambitious concert in The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh last April that cost Ł4000 from her own pocket, as well as some help from her parents!

“This time I don’t think I’ll be getting into debt,” laughed Nicola. “Arnold Clark have kindly agreed to sponsor me and the money they’ve given should cover the performers’ expenses, poster production and the club hire.

“So all the money made will be going directly to CHAS.

“There will also be a raffle on the night with some really good prizes, including bottles of whisky and a paintball trip.”
The full line-up has yet to be confirmed, but tickets can be purchased from The Stand, York Place, Edinburgh on 0131 558 7272. Doors are at 7.30 pm with the show beginning at 8.30 pm.

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